LONG BEACH - Long Beach officials are questioning whether an initiative changing election dates to align with statewide contests would save "millions over the long run," as proponents claim.

The measure, which has qualified for the November ballot, would cost taxpayers an additional $1.2 million to $1.5 million, according to City Clerk Larry Herrera.

It would move Long Beach municipal elections for positions such as City Council and mayor from April and June to a June primary and a November runoff, coinciding with statewide contests.

However, the measure wouldn't move elections for the Long Beach Unified Board of Education and Long Beach City College, meaning voters would vote in three local elections in even-numbered years.

Since both the school district and college also serve communities outside of Long Beach, altering election schedules would necessitate separate votes of all electors, a preliminary analysis by the City Attorney's Office concluded.

Councilman James Johnson has strongly opposed the measure, citing the cost figures.

He also said city leaders offset municipal elections from larger contests for a reason.

"It brings municipal focus to our elections," Johnson said.

"I think there's tremendous value for our residents coming together in April and not talking about who our president or governor is going to be, but who our school board members or City Council members are going to be."

Campaign representatives couldn't be reached Wednesday to detail long-term savings from the measure, which is sponsored by organized labor.

Councilman Robert Garcia, a supporter of the effort, said savings could be realized by consolidating ballots with the county when it completes its process of modernizing its voting system in several years.

According to a January 2011 letter sent by Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan to Herrera, the county's present ballot layout software has limited capacity and cannot accommodate municipal elections on the same ballot as statewide elections.

Garcia also said the switch would curtail "voter fatigue" from voting too many times in presidential election years and would increase participation in local races.

"Our turnout in the city of Long Beach is anemic at best," Garcia said.

Data back that assertion.

In February, 12.42 percent of Long Beach voters cast a ballot in municipal primaries, according to the City Clerk's Office; 21.13 percent voted in June, for a runoff for the 4th Council District.

More than 80 percent voted during the November 2008 presidential election in Long Beach. During the 2010 midterm elections, 52.58 percent voted.

If voters passed the initiative, a stand-alone election held in April for LBUSD and LBCC would cost $800,000 to $900,000, Herrera said. Costs would be shared proportionately between the two, rather than the city picking up its portion.

The City Clerk's Office would additionally spend $200,000 to $300,000 for voter education in June and November for "two-vote Tuesdays."

Long Beach elections, though run out of the same polling locations, are held separately from statewide contests administered by Los Angeles County.

Herrera predicted that a potential future consolidation of all municipal elections with those held by the county wouldn't impact staffing levels in his department, which is down to 13 full-time employees from 29 when he took office 10 years ago.

"That's not to say I wouldn't reorganize," Herrera said.

But however the vote goes in the fall, "the will of the people rules," Herrera said.